Best GMAT Books | 2018 – 2019

The GMAT test format has changed. That means many of the old GMAT preparation guides may not be as helpful to crack the GMAT syllabus as the latest ones, if you are tackling the new GMAT format.

If you prefer self study over classroom based GMAT training or for that matter online GMAT preparation courses, here’s a list of the best GMAT books to get you started.

There are several advantages of using GMAT books and creating a self-study plan:

Personalization: Create a study-plan that suits your specific needs.

Pacing: No competition with 20 other students in a class.

Flexibility: Study whenever you want and break up the workload.

Best GMAT Books | 2018 – 2019

Before you even start preparing for the GMAT, pick up a copy of Beyond The MBA Hype. It’ll give you a solid grounding on what to expect in your international MBA journey – right from GMAT preparation to internships to MBA jobs.

The first step is, yup, you guessed it – GMAT preparation. Always remember that the best GMAT books mean nothing if you don’t have the discipline and the patience to develop a good GMAT study plan and stick to it.

This ones for beginners who have the capacity and the patience to go through 8 separate GMAT prep books. They’ll help you build a good foundation of concepts used in each section of the GMAT syllabus. The individual guides are also available separately if you need help only with specific weak areas.

Top GMAT Quantitative (Maths) Books

Though this book does have a several sample GMAT questions that go beyond the primary GMAT Official Guide, you may not want to go for both. Instead, you could get the basics sorted out with the Official Guide 2015 and then look for an advanced level guide for the quantitative section.

There have been lukewarm responses to this guide. Some have found it to be good to get the basics in place. Others who were expecting many more difficult 700-750+ questions have not been too impressed.

Best GMAT Verbal Books

This verbal guide continues the good work done by the GMAT Official Guide. There are more real GMAT questions to give you practice on how the real test would feel like. Don’t jump into these before getting the verbal concepts clarified.

This book just like Kaplan’s quantitative guide tries to go beyond the basics. It’s a good option for folks who want to get an understanding of various verbal sections and how to use advanced strategies to tackle verbal questions.

Best GMAT Forums

Forums such as Pagalguy, GMAT Club, Beat The GMAT offer a huge amount of free study material. You’ll also find like minded folks and GMAT experts to help you solve your problems.

MBA Crystal Ball has a modest little forum too. If you have any doubts, post your queries on our GMAT forum.

If the sheer number of options is intimidating, the good news is that you don’t need to drown in the ocean of GMAT prep material. To find out how you can invest the bare minimum in your preparation, check out how to use the GMAT Official Guide along with the free official software.